Wonder Woman's Limitations
by Naidoo
Summary: A small oneshot about Stephanie and Ranger with Stephanie being scared of thunderstorms and Ranger finding a way to help her deal. Rating is just for the save side. Established Babe.


**A/N: Ta-da. An actual oneshot from me that has nothing to do with 'Keep your head above...' Shocking, I know. **

**I wrote this little story last night when in my part of the world the world actually seemed to end judging by the huge thunderstorm outside. Since i wasn't able to fall alseep again with the thunder going on I decided on using my time wisely and work my thunderstorm in a story...**

* * *

"I hate this," I thought to myself just moments before i jumped again, scared half to death. "I really do."

Deciding on burying myself further into the plush cushions and hiding further under the blankets that were already drawn way over my head, I mumbled that this couldn't be over soon enough. And just then another big, loud rumbling was heard. The whole room was lightened up a moment later for a few mere seconds before it became quiet again outside.

"Babe," I heard a very familiar rumble coming from the other end of the bed, making me jump under my heap of blankets some more.

"Jesus, Carlos, you scared the hell out of me," I complained hearing him laugh for a second and the bed move another second after that. I pushed the blankets away from my head, looked at the bedside table which housed a clock and then looked at the men kneeling on the bed. I hadn't expected him this early if I was honest, but then again, I had been sort of busy the last hour freaking out. He had been on a late-night job and judging by the full gear he still displayed – RangeMan standard uniform of black T-Shirt, black cargo pants and heavy shoes, Kevlar vest on top, as well as several weapons I could see or make out – it wasn't just planned as a walk in the park.

"I scared you?" he asked, sounding still slightly amused while slowly covering my blanket-clad body with his. "Sorry, Stephanie," he said a moment later not sounding sorry in the least. "But if it is any consolidation to you, I probably haven't scared you as much as you'll be scared in another few moments. To be exact in five…four…three…two…one."

Just then another loud cracking sound was heard, seeming louder than the last ones and making me jump even more. Well, as much as that was possible with a good 220 pounds of solid muscle weighting down on you.

"Do I even want to know how you knew the exact moment?"

"No," he laughed, kissing his way up my chest, neck and face, before whispering in my ear "I don't think you do. But I will gladly tell you all about it if you like." I noticed he had managed to open his Kevlar which was no hanging open from the front of his body and doing oddly fascinating things to me. I gave up long ago to understand why certain unusual things Carlos did or wore turned me on.

"Maybe you should," I mussed, enjoying the tickling sensation of Carlos's breath against my ear. "Distraction maybe helps."

"Ohhhh," he almost crooned and I wasn't sure I was hearing correctly. Maybe I wasn't, because Carlos doesn't croon. Okay, he also doesn't laugh. A lot. Publicly anyway. "Lean back then, because baby, you are in good hands and with a master of distraction. But maybe less so with the talking and more so with _doing_."

"Doing what?" I asked, surprised I was able to form words, since my man's lips were doing a very good job at keeping my thoughts occupied with other things.

Instead of replying he just gave me a wolf-grin and I knew was probably going to be in trouble. Very good trouble. And that the raging thunderstorm outside would soon be very very forgotten on my part.

Laying in his arms later on, I tried catching my breath from the _workout_ he had just put the two of us through. With his right hand he stroked his ringers through my wild curls, while his left hand played with heated patches of skin he could grab. My hand was drawing random patterns over his sculpted chest, enjoying the occasional contraction under them.

"How come you were here when I came home? Not that I complain, but didn't you have a girl's night out planned with Connie and Lula and wanted to – and I quote you here – spare me the image of a very drunk and very dumb Stephanie Plum?" Carlos asked into the new extremely quiet night after what seemed hours of me enjoying his heat and drawing patterns across his skin.

"I did. But Connie and Lula had to cut girl's night short and when I was on my way home this huge freakstorm started. So… I detoured here. I'm sorry…"

"Never apologize for come here and staying in my bed, Babe. This is where I want to have you all day every day if I could have my way."

"But I'm certain after the night you had judging by your get up," I started, lifting my head off his chest and looking around the bedroom, making out single discarded pieces of clothing and accessories from my man all over the bedroom floor, "you might have maybe preferred a more quiet night and not to stop your girlfriend from a panic attack."

"You think I would have preferred having a quiet night by myself instead of making love to you for hours? Really?" he asked amused, letting his question be followed by a laugh.

Okay, maybe that thought hadn't been fully finished on my part. Carlos loved sex, he was sex on two legs in all fairness and I knew for a fact that there was nothing he enjoyed more than me and him doing the horizontal tango. He was very driven and honest about things like that without coming on too strong and seeming floozy or one-track-minded. So… maybe my question was a bit stupid come to think of it.

"Nothing is ever stupid when it comes to you," I heard him breath against my ear.

"Not even my irrational fear or thunderstorms and that I seem to turn back into a five year old?" I asked, trying to make fun of myself to some degree.

"We all have our weaknesses and limitations," he simply stated, making me grunt for a moment.

"Even Batman?"

"Even me," he confirmed. "And Wonder Woman had also enough on her plate to deal with. She had her own limitations and weaknesses."

"Which are probably serious and deep compared to my silly thing."

Carlos shrugged underneath me

"Nothing is ever silly when it comes to you. Just so we are clear here. You are as entitled to small hang ups just like anyone else is. There is nothing wrong with you. Maybe you just need some working on your issue. And since you are my personal Wonder Woman I'll gladly deal with this - as you called it – irrational fear. I'm certain over time I'm able to find the cure that's going to work best for you."

And then he pressed his lips against mine. At first it was soft and gentle, but quickly turned heated and into something entirely opposite of innocent and soft. Holding at first my face between his hands, he wrapped his arms a moment later tightly around me and rolled us over, covering my body with his once more and pulling the blankets over both our heads in the process, no thunderstorm needed this time.

And maybe….just maybe, he was right. Maybe he could find a cure. Or maybe he simply was the cure himself…


End file.
